Uganda’s women national football team, the Crested Cranes have been drawn in a tough group for the 2019 CECAFA Women’s Championship that gets underway next month in Tanzania.
The Crested Cranes have been pooled in Group B alongside Kenya, Ethiopia, and Djibouti. Group A has hosts Tanzania, Zanzibar, Burundi, and South Sudan.
Uganda has always found it hard against Harambee Starlets of Kenya and the Lucy of Ethiopia in recent times and a tough challenge awaits them at the regional championship.
Just this year, Ethiopia dumped out Uganda from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics qualifiers winning 3-2 in Adis Abaaba and 1-0 in Kampala.
However, Uganda will draw confidence from the performance against both Kenya and Ethiopia at last year’s CECAFA Women’s Championship in Uganda where the Crested Cranes secured maximum points in the two games.
Against Kenya, diminutive forward Lilian Muttuzo scored the lone goal of the game while Yudaya Nakyenze and Grace Aluka scored a goal apiece as Uganda came from a goal down to defeat Ethiopia.
The 2019 tournament will be staged in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania between 14th -24th November.
Crested Cranes head coach Faridah Bulega is expected to name the squad early next week to start preparations.
Hosts Tanzania are the defending champions and have won the regional tournament for the last two editions.
2019 CECAFA Women’s Championship
- Group A: Tanzania, Zanzibar, Burundi South Sudan
- Group B: Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti
Crested Cranes fixtures
- 15th November 2019 – Uganda vs Djibouti
- 17th November 2019 – Ethiopia vs Uganda
- 19th November 2019 – Uganda vs Kenya